City of London triumph at ‘Oscars of the Planning world’

This week at the London Planning Awards, the City of London Corporation was granted the esteemed Mayor’s Award for Planning Excellence, hailing the City Corporation overall winner of the most prestigious event for the planning and development sector.

The City Corporation also received the Mayor’s Award as recognition for their win in the Best Conceptual Project category for the wind modelling of the Eastern Cluster.

To minimise the wind impacts around a number of tall development schemes, engineers carried out assessments for the cluster of towers and wider City using a wind tunnel and Computer Fluid Dynamics software.

The study concluded that there were more tranquil areas at the centre and to the east of the cluster while wind speeds increased around the cluster. Localized impacts were identified and assessed ensuring a more robust and resilient understanding of wind patterns within and around the cluster.

The wind modelling demonstrates how 3D technology can transform the understanding of London’s urban environment and deliver better outcomes for planning, designing and building in the City.

Annie Hampson, Chief Planning Officer at the City of London Corporation said:

“These Awards recognise the outstanding work of our talented planning team, consultants and developers in improving the future City.

“With such strong entries across all fields, we are particularly proud to have received the Mayor’s Prize for Planning Excellence across all categories.

“Our ground breaking modelling ensures that the effect of tall buildings on the wider public realm is correctly analysed on an area wide basis, recognising the growing relevance of pedestrian comfort and cyclists’ safety in a densely populated City.

“Our modelling will inform new guidance and criteria for development schemes so these issues are considered at an early stage of the design process resulting in better outcomes for London.

“This work aligns with advancing our air pollution reduction ambitions, to create a sustainable City for workers, visitors and residents.”

The London Planning Awards, organised by London First, celebrate the capital’s top planning and development projects in partnership with expert judges from the Mayor of London, London Councils, the Planning Officers Society and the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Now in its 14th year, the Awards were held on Monday 27 February 2017, at City Hall.

Notes to editors

About the City of London Corporation

The City of London Corporation provides local government and policing services for the financial and commercial heart of Britain, the 'Square Mile'. In addition, the City Corporation has three roles:

We support London’s communities by working in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on economic regeneration, education and skills. In addition, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, City Bridge Trust, makes grants of around £20 million annually to tackle disadvantage across London.

We also help look after key London heritage and green spaces including Tower Bridge, the Museum of London, Barbican Arts Centre, City gardens, Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and important commons in London.

We also support and promote the ‘City’ as a world-leading financial and business hub, with outward and inward business delegations, high-profile civic events and research-driven policies, all reflecting a long-term approach.

London First was set up as a non-profit organisation nearly 25 years ago with a mission to make London the best city in the world to do business. One of its first successes was the creation of an executive mayor for London. That success established the role of business leadership in improving and promoting London within the UK economy and to the world. Further successes include pushing for Crossrail, based partly on business financing it, and the creation of Teach First, incubated by the London business community and now improving results in schools around the country.